scholarly journals Farmers’ Preferences Regarding the Design of Animal Welfare Programs: Insights from a Choice-Based Conjoint Study in Germany

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 704
Author(s):  
Iris Schröter ◽  
Marcus Mergenthaler
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Welfare Programs ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Commitment Period ◽  
Decisive Importance ◽  
Compensation Level

As more animal welfare is required in livestock farming, several approaches have been developed to improve the well-being of farmed animals on a voluntary basis. Since farmers’ acceptance is important for the success of these approaches, their preferences should be considered when developing farm animal welfare programs. We used choice based conjoint analysis to investigate the preferences of 242 German livestock farmers (147 cattle farmers; 95 pig farmers) regarding the design of farm animal welfare programs. The conditional logit regression models show that the measures serving as basis for remuneration and the compensation level were of decisive importance for the farmers’ choices. The most preferred measure for assessing animal welfare, and thus as the basis for remuneration, was animal health. As expected, a higher compensation level led to greater acceptance of an animal welfare approach. The commitment period was only of subordinate importance with the longer commitment period being preferred. Our study outlines aspects of farm animal welfare programs that might encourage farmers to participate in these programs. Future programs could consider our findings by emphasising health parameters and by creating planning security through longer commitment periods and sufficiently high compensations for farmers’ efforts to improve animal welfare.

Farm animal welfare: the future.

2020 ◽  
pp. 173-190
Author(s):  
Alistair Stott ◽  
Bouda Vosough Ahmadi
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
The Future ◽  
Animal Welfare Science

Abstract Science can help us understand what animals want and economics can provide the understanding of human motivation needed to deliver such wants. In our view, what needs further development in future is for economics and information/communication science and technology to channel awareness into appropriate action. This chapter elaborates on this idea by providing some illustrative examples. Focusing on animal health and welfare, it argues that there is much scope for improvement in profit and welfare on commercial farms simply by adopting the best disease management approach available. We also emphasize the importance of systems modelling and operations research (OR) in the future to ensure that animal welfare taps into the growing opportunities that developments in these methods are likely to bring. The chapter also argues that OR can provide a bridge between animal welfare science, economics and business to deliver improvements in animal welfare through food markets. The importance of big data and precision livestock farming in livestock production/reproduction, animal health and welfare, and the environmental impact of livestock production are also discussed. New genetic approaches to optimize livestock resilience and efficiency are highlighted. We argue that tackling difficult problems, such as sustainability (that encompasses animal welfare alongside environment and climate change), efficiency and resilience in farm animal production systems, is and will remain a vital focus of research in the agri-food sector. Research methods and governance still need to change to properly reflect this. It is envisaged that animal welfare will be affected by these developments and should, wherever appropriate, be explicitly considered.

scholarly journals Happy or healthy? How members of the public prioritise farm animal health and natural behaviours

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0247788
Author(s):  
Belinda Vigors ◽  
David A. Ewing ◽  
Alistair B. Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Mind ◽  
The Public ◽  
Natural Behaviour ◽  
Public Perspectives

The importance given to minimising health issues and promoting natural behaviours is a polarising issue within farm animal welfare. It is predominantly thought that members of the public prioritise animals being able to behave naturally over other aspects of farm animal welfare, such as addressing health issues. However, public perspectives may be more multi-dimensional than is generally thought, with the importance given to these different elements of welfare dependent on the situation and state of the animals in question. To examine this, a factorial survey using vignettes, which experimentally manipulated the different levels of health (high health vs. low health) and natural behaviour provision (high behaviour vs. low behaviour), was completed by a sample (n = 810) representative of the UK population (on age, gender, ethnicity). Contrary to the predominant view, this study found animal health had the greatest effect on participants’ judgements, explaining more of the variance in their assessments of animal welfare than any other factor. However, findings also indicated that participants considered animal welfare to be most positive when both health issues are minimised and natural behaviours are promoted. Attitudes to natural behaviours also varied more between participants, with females, individuals who do not (regularly) eat meat and those with a greater belief in animal mind giving greater priority to natural behaviours. In the context of public and private welfare standards seeking to meet public expectations, this study provides important insights into how public perspectives of animal welfare are more nuanced than previously thought, influenced by the context of the animal, the aspect of welfare in question and personal characteristics.

scholarly journals German dairy farmers’ attitudes toward farm animal welfare and their willingness to participate in animal welfare programs: a cluster analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1121-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinke Heise ◽  
Ludwig Theuvsen
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Target Group ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Welfare Programs ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Market Effects ◽  
Positive Attitudes

Farm animal welfare (FAW) is at the center of a controversial public debate, and the demand for higher farm animal welfare standards is growing. Nevertheless, there are hardly any dairy products from pure animal welfare programs (AWPs) on the market. Although dairy farmers are a very important stakeholder group for the successful implementation of AWPs, very little is known about their attitudes toward the introduction of such programs. For this study, 258 conventional dairy farmers in Germany were questioned about FAW and AWPs via an online survey. We identified five clusters (farmer groups) that significantly differ with regard to their attitudes toward AWPs, FAW, and their own willingness to improve the level of animal welfare or take part in specialized AWPs. Cluster A consists of farmers who strongly oppose AWPs; farmers in this cluster will probably not take part in AWPs, especially because they do not consider it profitable to do so. Farmers in cluster B also view AWPs and the associated market effects with some skepticism; however, they are willing to improve their level of animal welfare and, therefore, may someday become willing to participate in AWPs. Cluster C farmers have diverse attitudes toward AWPs; since they are slightly willing to improve the level of animal welfare on their farms and as they are comparatively most optimistic concerning the market effects of higher animal welfare standards, these farmers could also become AWP participants in the future. Farmers in cluster D have positive attitudes toward AWPs and show the highest willingness among the five clusters to improve animal welfare on their farms. However, when it comes to the market effects of higher national animal welfare standards and the market potential for more animal-friendly products, these farmers are the most skeptical; if the economic security of AWPs were guaranteed, Cluster D farmers would probably constitute an important target group. Farmers in cluster E have positive attitudes toward AWPs, show a high willingness to improve the own FAW, and tend to be less skeptical about the market effects of higher animal welfare standards; these farmers constitute the most important potential target group for AWPs. Our results can provide a starting point for the design of tailor-made AWPs that fulfill the requirements of both dairy farmers and the broader public.

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